Thomas lee



No. 6l6,945. Patented Jan. 3, I899 T. LEE.

SHAFT LOOP.

(Application filed Apr. 16, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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' the wear of the shafts instead of the face of the p UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LEE, OF BRANDON, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, IVILLIAM COXVAN, AND IV. L. PARRISII, OF SAME PLACE.

SHAFT-LOOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,945, dated January 3, 1899. Application filed April 16,1898. Serial No. 677,823. (in model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS LEE, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing in Brandon, in the Province of Manitoba and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shaft-Loops, of which the following is a specification.

My object in this invention has been to improve the construction of shaft-loops, and thereby to increase their durability without adding to their cost.

The main feature of the invention consists in forming the body of the loop of a series of strips of leather placed face to face and sewed together along their central plane and then bent edgewise of the leather (instead of fiatwise) into the form desired for the loop, so that the edges of the leather are presented to inner layer, as in the old-fashion ed way of constructing the loops. By this simple change I add greatly to the durability of the loop, because the stitching which in the'old construction was liable to be worn away by the shafts is in my improved loop wholly protected from wear, and consequently will last as long as the loop is usable, and because all the layers are subjected to wear at the same time and to the same degree instead of devolving all the wear upon an interior layer, which is likely to be worn through and to de stroy the usefulness of the device before the outer layers are materially affected. My construction also permits the use of small pieces or scrap-leather,which could not be well used in loops as heretofore made, so that the cost of my improved article is much less than that of the old. The edges of the leather permit I trimming to any extent necessary to give the loop the desired contour, and the loop is also stronger than in the old construction. This and other features of my invention are fully set forth below and also shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved loop. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively side and edge views of the same. Fig. lis a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective of a series of leather strips united-together and ready to be bent into proper form for the loop.

In said drawings, A A represent a series of layers of leather, preferably cut in the first instance in the form of straight strips, as seen at Fig. 5, and stitched together along their center line, as shown at B. The strips should be long enough for the purpose, and after being thus united they are bent into the form of the loop, this bending being edgewise of the leather, as distinguished from the flatwise bending employed in the old loops and resulting in bringing their ends into more or less close contact, as will be understood from the drawings. The ends are preferably beveled off, as shown. The loop having its body thus formed may be supported in any suitable way; but I prefer to employ for this purpose the metal retainer or coupling device illustrated in the drawings and consisting of an inverted-U-shaped piece of metal C,having its apex slotted at C, so as to adapt it to set down over the cross-bar of the buckle D, by which the loop is attached to the supporting-strap E of the harness, with the tongue D of the buckle projecting upward through the slot. Each limb of the retainer has side ears C between which the ends of the leather body are entered and to which the ends are each secured by rivets C passing through the leather ends and through the ears at each side thereof, as plainly illustrated at Fig. 4. The retainer is also preferably provided with a loop E to receive the end of strap E.

Of course some of the benefits of my invention may be obtained without the edgewise bending of the leather, and I do not wish to be limited thereto in all my claims. I recommend that feature, however, as it not only materially cheapens the manufacture, but also tends to compress the leather upon the inside of the loop, and thereby to better fit it to endure the rubbing action of the shafts.

I claim 1. The shaft-loop the body whereof is formed of a series of layers of leather laid with their flat sides face to face so as to present their edges to the shaft and sewed together along their central longitudinal line, the ends of the layers being abutted and held together by a suitable retainer, substantially as specifled.

2. The shaft-loop the body whereof is formed of a series of layers of leather laid with their fiat sides face to face so as to present their edges to the shaft and sewed together along their central longitudinal line, the ends of the layers being abutted and held together by a metal retainer inclosing and attached to both ends, substantially as specified.

3. The shaft-loop consisting of a series of layers of leather assembled with their flat sides face to face and sewed together along their central longitudinal line, and also having their ends suitably united, and a metal loop to receive the suspending-buckle, substantially as specified.

4. The shaft-loop consisting of a series of layers of leather secured together so as to present their edges to the shafts, a supportingbuckle, and a metal retainer such as 0, securing the ends of the leather together and also attaching the buckle to the leather, substantially as specified.

THOMAS LEE. [n s.]

lVitnesses:

J AMES SUYDAM, E. B. COTTINGHAM. 

